Construction of roads and the like



Nov. 26, 1929.v

L. H. A. DUNKER CONSTRUCTION 0F ROADS AND" THE LIKE Filed may 27, 1926www@ . strips,

Patented Nov. 26, 1929 PATENT OFFICE LoU'Is HERMAN ALFRED DUNKER, orBIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND CONSTRUCTION 0F ROADS AND THE LIKE Application filedMay?, 1926, Serial No. 112,123, and `in Great Britain `July 1, 1925. l I

The present invention has relation to a process of or means formanufacturing a road, more particularly to the surface covering orcarpeting of concrete and like foundations, the invention having for itsobject to provide a surface covering or carpeting having amaximumresistance against wear and which is homogeneous and will avoid creepingand reduce local defects to a minimum. The present means also have thecharacteristic that when wear takes place, as it must inevitably afterconstant use, cavities, grooves, 0r the like of small diameter ortransverse measurement are constituted and adapted to assist inpreventing skidding of the wheels of vehicles.

According to the present invention I provide a reinforcing meshcomprisedof a plurality of interengaged or interconnected flat section metalstrips disposed with their maj or dimension vertically and adapted to befilled with asphalt, cement, concrete or the like to form a surfacecovering or carpet of a thickness equal or substantially equal to theaforesaid major4 dimension of the strip.

Such a surface covering or carpet is laid on top of a concrete asphaltor other foundation which may 'be reinforced or otherwise and from whichit must be differentiated.

Seeing that the metal strips of the presentsurface covering orlcarpeting have their upper ed es flush or substantially flush with theactua wearing surface of the road, such surface is rendered inevitablytough. As the section of road thus treated iscovered with one continuousinterwoven mat of steel it cannot creep or give.

The strip metal may have a major dimension of say 1% and is formed to azigzag or undulating formation, the respective apices or undulationsbeing united or coupled by rods or like devices passing throughperforations therein. Such rods or like devices not only connect thevarious metal but ensure that the asphalt or other filling will notleave the cavities constituted by the mesh. Certain of these cavitiesmay have a white filling to constitute the wellknown White linefontrafiic guiding purposes.

with asphalt, concrete,

upon such thin layer,

The reinforcement mesh may be laid completely across the road onthefoundation and the filling afterwardsadded; or, alternatively, thecovering or carpeting may be formed as a plurality of relatively smallmats, each complete in its formation, and adapted to be applied to theroad foundation and afterwards consolidated thereon to form the completecarpet or covering.

Inorder that this invention may be clearly understood and readilycarried into practice, reference maybe had to theV appended explanatorysheet of drawings, upon which Figure 1 is a plan view of a reinforcementmesh constructed according to one form of the present invention.

Fig. 1EL is a fragmentary similar View as Fig. 1 showing a modification.

Figure 2 is a sectional elevation illustrating a road covering orcarpeting according to this invention has been applied.

Figure 3 illustrates in plan view a modified mesh. y

In a convenient embodiment of the present invention I employ lengths ofstrip metal a of flat section steel (see articularly Figure 2) as forinstance 11A A y 116 section and bend these strips to a zigzag formationl(as illustrated particularly in Figure 1). The lengths of zigzag stripare aggregated together in the manner shown with the apices inengagement, and are held in such position by rods b which pass throughperforations in the respective apices. These rods b may be arrangedvariously (as shown in the Figure 1) but it is desirable to ensure thatsome part of a rod spans or projects into each cavity constituted by themesh.

The reinforcing mesh is laid iatwise upon the concrete or other roadfoundation .c with its major dimension (shown-particularly in Figure 2)and is filled cement or other desirable filling flush with the top edgeof the mesh. Conveniently a-thin layer of asphalt or grouting of'cementmay be initially placed upon the foundation,

and afterwards filled.

disposed verticallyfoundation upon which .a surface the mesh embeddedlina By arranging the rods b to span or project into each and everycavity there is no possibility of the asphalt or other filling leavingany particular cavity, seeing that it becomes well consolidated with apart of a rod. Certain of the cavities may have a White filling toconstitute a white line for traffic guiding purposes, signs, etc.

In lieu of placing the reinforcing mesh upon the road foundation andafterwards filling it, the mesh may be filled to form a plurality ofreadily transportable mats which' may be placed upon the road foundationand afterwards suitably consolidated by filling the joints with orwithout connecting the-steel mesh in the different mats.

In lieu of uniting the metal strips by rods b, dumb-bell shaped devicesof flat section, such as illustrated at d, in Fig. l, may be employed,or rivets, bolts, pins, etc. of any suitable shape. These devices arepassed through vertical slots in the strips and afterwards rotatedthrough 90 degrees. In the modification shown in Figure 3 the striplmetal a is bent to form a series of channels which are united by cornerrods b, whilst in a still further modification (not illustrated), thestrip metal may be bent to an undulating or wavy configuration for thepurpose of this invention.

The present invention therefore consists in a covering or.carpeting fora. road foun- (lation as differentiated from the foundation itself,which covering or carpeting has a metallic reinforcement extendingcompletely through its thickness in the nature of strip metal or flatsection bars, such a surface or covering having considerablewear-resisting characteristics, avoiding all vcreeping and localdefects.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secureby Letters Patent is 1.A floor or pavement armoring compris- .lng' separate metal strips bentto zig-zag form, the strips having holes at the corners thus formed, andbeing assembled on edge with holes of adjacent strips in register andwith the top edges substantially flush, Whereby said top edges present asurface adapted, when the assembled armoring isincorporated with andarmor the surface thereof, and rods extending through the o enings andholding the strips in assemble position, the rods being of less lengththan the assemblage, whereby the assembled structure is'flexible andadapts itself to the contour of the surface on which it lies.

2. A floor or pavement armoring comprising separate metal strips bent tozig-zag form,the strips having holes at the corners thus formed, andbeing assembled on edge with holes of adjacent strips in register andwith the top edges substantially flush, whereby said top edges present asurface adapted,

floor or pavement structure, to lie fiushwhen the assembled armoring isincorporated in a floor or pavement structure, to lie flush with andarmor the surface thereof, and rods extending through the openings andholding the strips in assembled position, the rods being of less lengththan the assemblage and the metal strips being of less length than thewidth of such assemblage, whereby the assembled structure is flexibleand adapts itself to the contour of the surface on which it lies.

3. A fioor or pavement armoring comprising separate metal strips bent tozig-zag form, the strips having holes at the corners thus formed, andbeing assembled on edge by said top edges present a surface adapted,

when the assembled armoring is incorporated in a floor or pavementstructure, to lie flush with and armor the surface thereof, and rods ofcircular cross section extending through the openings and holding thestrips in assembled position, the rods beinO of less length than theassemblage, whereby it is flexible longitudinally, and the metal stripsbeing of less length than the width of the assemblage, whereby they mayrock or turn around the circular rods, rendering structure flexibletransversely.

4. A floor or pavement armoring comprising separate metal strips bent toZig-zag form, the strips having holes at the corners thus formed, andbeing assembled on edge with holes of adjacent strips in register andwith the top edges substantially flush, whereby said top edges present asurface adapted, when the assembled armoring is incorporated in a flooror pavement structure, lto lie flush with and armorvthe surface thereof,and rods of circular cross section `extending through the openings andholding the strips in assembled position, the rods being of less lengththan the assemblage, whereby it is flexible longitudinally, and themetal strips being of less length than the width' of the assemblage,whereby they may rock or turn around the circular rods, rendering thestructure flexible transversely, the zig-zag strips being arranged inrows, the point of juncture of strips in one row being offset laterallyof the assemblage relative to the point ture of strips in anadjacentlrow.

of junc- In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

LOUIS HERMAN ALFRED DUNKER.

